I get emails and YouTube comments/messages all the time about the necessities of starting music production. I wrote this email in response to one of those messages today, and got really long winded about it. I thought it was worth posting!
To start making music, you simply need a medium in which to do it. This could be an instrument, or in your case, a computer. A Mac is a great tool, and you can definitely get started with just that. Everything else you add is simply tools to enhance your music-creating abilities. Here are some things you may want to think about
1.) Play around in GarageBand before you go make big purchases. Some great producers use only a mouse and computer keyboard to create. You can draw in what you want to play in the piano roll or score modes. For someone with little musical experience, this may be the best way to learn/ make music.
2.) A MIDI controller is simply data being sent, no sounds, no notes. Many MIDI controllers are laid out in the form of a piano, but you can also get ones that are only pads or various other tools. Research MIDI controllers, specifically pad controllers, because that may be a more intuitive way for you to get started.
3.) Don’t let your lack of gear stop you! Experiment, find creative ways to create, and just put time in on your platform. There is nothing more valuable than experience in this game.
4.) Listen! One of the most overlooked, but important, roles a producer has to play is being a listener. Actively listen to music, thinking about the song, the production, the writing, and the musical ideas. Ask yourself, “What instruments am I hearing?” “How could I make these sounds?” “What is louder in the mix, where are things placed in my spacial imaging?” “How does the effects on her voice affect the song?” “What emotions are these musical ideas invoking?” “What do these drums sounds make me want to do?”…. In the same way a doctor needs to study medicine or a lawyer needs to study law, a producer MUST study music and the field that he is creating within.
That being said, I have some gear recommendations
Some very essential pieces that will immediately improve your quality and give you the necessary tools to create are a MIDI controller, an audio interface, a DAW, and a microphone.
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation);
I personally use three separate DAWs, or computer programs, to create and record music. You only need one, but many people find strengths and weaknesses between the various programs, and end up using a hybrid mix of several. I started on Ableton Live, a computer platform that merges live performance with a traditional arrangement and sequencing software. It really lends to the creative process, but the interface is a little bit less user friendly than some alternatives, and has a big learning curve. Another program I use is Logic Pro. This program, by Apple, has some of the best stock sounds on the competitive market. It is set up in a more user friendly, traditional way than Ableton, and is a great starting point. Many would argue that it is just as good as Ableton, but I think it lacks in its ability to customize and create new sounds. Finally, for my audio recording and mixing, I use ProTools, the industry standard. ProTools is a little more advanced than other software sets, but basically accomplishes the same thing. I like the way it is set up for live recording in comparison to the other two programs I use, and virtually every major studio uses it, so its a great tool for someone looking to make a career in the music business.
Audio Interfaces;
An audio interface is a tool to convert analog sound (i.e. your voice, your guitar, etc) to digital, and feed it to the computer, and to convert digital sound from the computer to analog for playback. You can select from a variety of conversion schemes and bit-rates, but in general, ANY audio interface is going to be better than using your computer’s built in card for recording. The deciding points after that are number of inputs/outputs, features and layout, and price/quality. I am a fan of the M-Audio FastTrack series for beginners, and selecting the model based on what kind of recording you will be doing. They have several with limited ins for a microphone or two, or some with up to 8 microphone inputs. A more expensive, but potentially worthwhile upgrade would be their Fireware interfaces.
MIDI controller;
A MIDI controller, as previously stated, sends ONLY data from the hardware to the computer (or other hardware). There are tons of layouts for how these tactile pieces of hardware are used to send that data, most commonly as a piano layout. It is often appropriate to use velocity sensitive pads to send that data as well, especially when recording drums. MIDI data can also be used for mixing and changing parameters within your software, manually. I am a big fan of the M-Audio Axiom series, because it combines keys, pads, knobs, and faders, all customizable and available for a variety of uses. Its a greater starting point for MIDI that gives you a lot of options. Choosing how many keys is a matter of price, portability, and playability. I started with a 25 Key controller, and made a lot of great music with it, but ended up purchasing a 61 Key controller to expand what I was playing, and have really grown to like that. Another really unique and interesting MIDI controller is the Native Instruments Maschine. It mimics an old MPC and is a really powerful tool that is worth some consideration.
Microphones;
I could write an entire post on microphones, but I will go ahead and say that for a project studio, the most valuable microphone to have is a large diaphragm condensor microphone. There are some great budget mics available that create suprisingly high quality recordings, and are a great starting point. I used Audio Technica AT2020‘s on virtually everything on my BeatBlog videos to date. I have purchased some higher end things for my commercial recordings and sessions now, but as an all around microphone, you can slap a 2020 on just about anything and get a decent sound.
*I by no means am asserting that these are the best options on anything, just simply stating that I have used and had success with the items I listed, and see them as a great starting point for new producers.
